The Plan
by Smams
Summary: Rachel Berry is starting her freshman year at McKinley High. She's dealt with bullies before, but never ones this secretive. She's not the only one with a plan this year.
1. Chapter 1

Rachel Berry begins to walk down the hallway of McKinley High. It's her freshman year, and man does she have plans. Her plans, in her mind, are wonderful. Of course, everything in Rachel Berry's head is wonderful. At least that's what she thinks. She's always thought this and she most likely always will. Rachel, you see, has tons of self-confidence. And she doesn't really understand how people couldn't. Rachel always thinks this; well up into the point where she realizes that not everyone is as talented and intelligent as she is.

Last year, Rachel was always picked on. They were always different things. She was always made fun of for how she looked or dressed, the way she sang all the time, her grades, and even her parents. Rachel never thought this was fair. She was such a wonderful person, so why would people constantly want to hurt her feelings? It made no sense to her.

But none of that was going to happen this year. For this Rachel was sure! She clutches the folder piece of paper in her hand. This paper holds the key to her life here at McKinley. Rachel can't lose it. She's not sure how this school works, but she doubts someone will turn it in to the lost and found if they find it. And it's not like Rachel put her name on the sheet. If someone were to sneak a peek at it she wouldn't want them seeing that it's her planning this.

When Rachel reaches her locker she's surprised to see that it's a top locker. Just more torture to go through. She's very much short. That's another thing she was made fun of for: her height. Rachel sighs. _Oh well_, she thinks; _guess I'll have to just make do with what is given_. She manages to open her locker. She looks for somewhere to hide the paper while she gets her things in.

Looking around, she finds no place to put it. She sighs, and shoves the note inside her bra, hoping that no one saw this. She stands there frozen for a moment, waiting for someone to come up to her and say anything. Surprisingly, no one does. She smiles to herself and begins stacking her textbooks in.

When Rachel is finished with her first task she turns to walk to her first class. She just feels so happy for hers- _SPLASH!_

Rachel is too frightened to move. Her eyes are wide with fear and circling the hallway for an explanation. Then she realizes a very pretty blonde cheerleader is standing in front of her laughing. There is two other cheerleaders standing and laughing with her. One is blonde as well, but her eyes are blue, and this one is much taller. The third one is Latina, she's also the shortest of the three, but still taller than Rachel.

"Welcome to McKinley, loser!" The three girls say in unison. Rachel doesn't really know what just happened. All she knows is that she's the coldest she's ever been in her life. She blinks, and watches as the girls walk away.

Rachel looks around and she sees that everyone is staring at her. Some look sympathetic, but most are giggling to themselves. Anger and sadness build up inside the small girl. When she clenches her fists she realizes that she has the plan in her bra. And she's covered in this cold, rich colored ice.

Rachel runs to the bathroom, hoping her plan is okay.

-x-x-x-x—

Rachel stares at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She's completely covered in blue slush. A few tears fall down her cheeks, making pathways in the thick liquid. Rachel is really very horrible at keeping in her pain and sadness. But she has no time to dwell on this now. She ignores the sorrow-filled feelings and tries to concentrate on the task at hand.

Rachel immediately shoves her hand down her bra to retrieve the paper. She brings it up to her eyes to get a closer look. She finds that it's damp and slightly blue. The ink that once filled the page with torturous words was now black blurs and smears. Rachel bites her lip in worry, unsure what to do.

How was she supposed to fulfill her plans now? She can't go through another year of bullying without some way to prevent it. _She won't_.

Rachel just needs to remember all of the things she wrote into words and the images she drew. Shouldn't be that hard, right? Wrong. She made this plan up through her years of bullying. Back when she was in her old school. She wrote the plan for the new people at high school encase it happened; which it did. She had been with the same people her whole life, she knew all their tricks and they knew her. These new people don't know anything about her, or what makes her tick. She came up with so many knew ideas for these bullies! But now her written plan is ruined.

Rachel knows she has another copy of the plan. She's not an idiot. Of course she made two. The only problem is she can't seem to remember where she placed it exactly. It's somewhere in her pink-filled room. When she gets back home she'll have to search for it.

Putting her plan aside, she grabs paper towels and begins cleaning off some of the slush on her face and clothing. She has no idea where she's going to get a change of clothes. It's the first day of school! Rachel didn't think to bring a change of clothes. She bows her head in defeat.

These girls are different from the ones at her middle school. These girls are for one: much prettier. But there's something else about them that Rachel just can't figure out. It's their posture and the way they acted and reacted to things. It's the way they wear their uniforms, and the way they did their hair and make-up. Almost as if they're hiding from something.

Rachel shakes her head and chuckles to herself. She's just being ridiculous now. It's not like the obviously popular cheerios need to hide. Rachel sits on the floor of the bathroom, contemplating. Maybe they're just hiding out in the open, in plains sight. Rachel stares at the ground, eyes wide. But what could they possibly he hiding?

Rachel is major smart, yet she can't for the life of her relax enough to actually think this problem through all the way. She's only done half the equation. If she solves it though, she might be able to get revenge!

Rachel Barbra Berry is not stupid.

She's not dumb.

She knows that this little slushy won't be the only attack.

It's gonna happen again.

And soon at that.


	2. Chapter 2

When Rachel walks out of the bathroom she stops dead in her tracks. The hallways are completely empty. She must have been in deep thought when the bell rang. She sighs and begins walking to her first class—that is if she can even find it. It's her first time at this school; she's not just going to magically know where everything is.

She pulls out her map and examines it. She turns and walks down the hallway to her right, not bothering to look up. No one's in the hallway, it's not like she going to run into anyone. Everyone is in class, being studious. As soon as Rachel thinks this she has second thoughts. Not everyone cares about pleasing the teachers and getting good grades such as herself. Rachel can't help but roll her eyes as she thinks of this.

"Maybe I'll just be friends with the science nerds," Rachel says to herself.

But she has no time to think about friends to make right now. She's realized that today she's been off track. Her thoughts not usually all around the place like this. She assumes it's just the stress of the first day. Rachel makes another turn down the hallway.

She looks up for a second to see if she's been going in the right direction. Her eyes widen when she sees a kid getting pushed into lockers. They all should be in class, but of course they aren't. There are two really big bullies and some boy dressed in very high fashion. In fact this boy is the nicest dressed boy Rachel has ever seen in her life.

Rachel has a bit of a panic just then. For a second her insides are telling her that she's the one being shoved into lockers. She doesn't realize that she's holding her breathe. She's also very unsure what to do. She's never watched someone be bullied from a distance. Rachel's only ever seen other people be bullied up close, alongside her. Rachel tilts her head slightly in confusion. They don't seem to notice that she's arrived. _Now's your chance!_ She mind screams at her, _go help him! _

So Rachel clenches her fists, wrinkling the map in the process, and takes a deep breathe. Then she walks over to them with caution, not sure if she should run up to them and knock them over, or walk up and tell them off.

In the end, they two football-playing bullies spot her. She's halfway over to them, and they have the well-dressed boy pressed against one of the lockers. He looks terrified. Rachel probably feels just as terrified on the inside. When they see how small and angry-looking she is; they let out a howl of laughter. They boy looks into her eyes and manages to give her a sly smile.

"Well, look what we have here, Hummel: A tiny baby fairy coming to your rescue." The white one laughed.

"How pathetic, you really need some girl in knee highs to help you? Can you be anymore gay?" The black one asks, shoving 'Hummel' again.

Rachel runs the rest of the way over to them, anger flashing in her eyes.

"You think you can just run around shoving people just because they're gay?" Rachel asks, more annoyed with these bullies then she is with those cheerio girls. There's nothing Rachel hates more than a ginormous homophobe. Since her parents are gay she's always overprotective when it comes to gay people. The only gay person she knew at her middle school was in the closet.

"Um, yeah, little girl we think we can. It's against the bible, ain't it?" The black one asks, chuckling along with his buddy. Rachel cringes on the inside when she hears 'ain't'. She wants to tell him that it's very improper to say, but he has to stay on task.

"It may be against it, I wouldn't know. But you better leave this boy alone, he's done nothing wrong."

"Oh, Okay!" They laugh, "What ever will you do, little girl?"

"First of all, my name is not little girl, it's Rachel Berry. Second, ain't is improper grammar you're supposed to say isn't. And lastly, I can always go to the school board, call your parents, talk to the principal, or I can do something much worse."

"Like what?" They're nearly falling over from laughing so hard at Rachel at this point. Rachel just ignores them.

"Like I could tell everyone that you ditched class to make-out with one another, and you dragged this boy along for a threesome." Rachel explains, grinning up at them. She watches as their laughter comes to a stop. They're completely silent now, just staring at the clever girl.

"You wouldn't really do—"

"Oh yes I would, I have two gay dads, and I'm not going to stand around here and allow you to bully him just because he's different. My parents would be disappointed in me, and I hate disappointing them."

The bullies look as if they're struggling to find words. They turn they're gaze to the boy, and then back to Rachel. Then they glance at each other. Rachel notices that something seems to click in the meatheads because they are grinning mischievously at one another. Rachel doesn't like this at all. She begins to feel nervous, but forces herself to man-up. She's better than them. She knows that. She just has to stay strong.

The white one opens his mouth to speak, "Who in this school would believe you?"

Rachel's face falls when she realizes that they're right. Not only is she a huge geek, she's just a freshman. She's practically invisible to everyone, even the teacher. The only ones who will give her the time of day are the bullies when they laugh and throw that slush at her.

The two laugh together and shove the boy one last time, and then they walk off high-fiving each other. Rachel can feel tear trying to claw their way out of her eyes. She's furious right now! How could he let them get away with—?

"Thank you."

Rachel turns slightly to see the boy that was being bullied. He's smiling at her sweetly. Rachel just stares up at him. He seemed a lot smaller when he was being shoved into the lockers, but up close he's actually really tall. But it could just seem that way to Rachel since she's really short.

"Why are you thanking me? I didn't really help much." Rachel says, looking down at her shoes, blushing.

The boy shrugs, "Well, it's true you didn't get them to _stop _bullying me, but you tried. That's good enough for me. No one's ever seemed to notice."

Rachel feels sad knowing that people don't notice this kid getting bullied. She does understand, though. It's not like the teachers or other students back in middle school came to her rescue or tried to stop the bullies. Rachel smiles, and looks up at him.

"It's my pleasure," she holds out a hand, "Rachel Berry."

"Kurt Hummel," he says taking her hand, gladly.

"Maybe we could be friends. We can be friends, can't we?" Rachel asks, unsure as to what his answer will be. No one wanted to be her friend in middle school so why now, even if she did help him, sort of.

She's surprised when Kurt smiles at her, and holds out his elbow for her to take.

"But of course," He says, a grin plastered on his face.

Rachel takes his arm happily. Her first real friend, she couldn't believe it. Rachel Berry has a friend that _wants _to spend time with her.

It's true that Rachel isn't dumb or stupid, but she does have her doubts. Also just because she's really super smart doesn't mean she can't learn anything. And as Rachel and Kurt walk to their next class, Rachel finally gets that she needs to stop comparing high school to middle school. Because if she doesn't she'll never hear the end of it.

So, Rachel decides to leave the past in the past.

She has other things to focus on.

Like her new friends, and maybe even recruiting them into her fabulous plan.


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel Berry is sitting in the middle of English, listening to the teacher drone on and on about grammar. While Rachel is taking careful notes, and Kurt is trying his best to concentrate, everyone else is whispering amongst themselves and shooting spitballs all over the place. Rachel thinks that this is very childish and unnecessary. At least her new friend is at least making an effort to learn.

Rachel notices that the girls from this morning are in the back laughing with everyone. Everyone else is distracting Rachel from learning what she needs. She wants to gain more knowledge. She doesn't understand how it's such a joke to most of these people. Don't they even care about their futures?

The most distracting of them all was the leader of the cheerleaders from the slushy incident. Her giggles sound like bells, and her whispers are strangely pretty. Rachel didn't know that whispers could be pretty. But there's an example right in the back of the room, so it must be true. Other people find other peoples soft voices pretty right? This wasn't just her? She hopes so because she would hate to consider herself crazy. Then she realizes she's getting worked up over nothing and gaining no knowledge at the same time.

_Calm down_, she thinks, heatedly.

"Rachel, are you okay?" Rachel hears someone ask. She turns her head to see Kurt staring at her with concern in her eyes. She blinks, processing what he's asking. She clears her throat and brushes down her skirt.

"I would be much better if our classmates would settle down and shut up for once." She says, tries to keep her voice level, with minimal anger showing through.

Kurt gives her a sympathetic smile, "They're giving me a headache too."

Rachel relaxes slightly when Kurt tells her this. She sighs and leans back into her seat. It feels so good to not be alone any more.

Right when she was just started to feel calm, she felt it. Her eyes widened at this. She slowly moved her hand to the back of her head. She pulled away as soon as she felt the disgusting and slimy material. She felt as if she could vomit at any moment.

She heard the laughter of bells get louder.

It was the cheerleader.

She spit. In. Her. Hair.

It's one thing to go around throwing slushies at people, but to spit in their hair… That's just down right _revolting_. Rachel slowly turns her head to look at Kurt whose eyes are wide with shock. She looks at him, practically begging for him to do something. Rachel can't think in times like this. It's just too gross for her to concentrate. She feels like she just needs to sit still.

Luckily, Kurt comes to her rescue and raises his hand to get Mrs. Livingstone's attention. Rachel bites her lip to hold back a scream. And when she hears the people in the back laughing at Kurt and her, her eyes begin to water. _Keep it together_.

"Yes, Mr. Hummel, do you have a question?" Mrs. Livingstone asks, sliding her glasses back up her nose.

"Would it be okay if I could assist Rachel to the bathroom?" He asks, hopeful.

"Why would she need assistance from a male?"

Rachel heard snickers from the back of the classroom again, "The loser and the gay kid…" Rachel couldn't understand the rest; it was too hushed for her to make out what they were saying. She doesn't know what to do, and once again Kurt is being insulted.

Rachel stands up, and gathers up enough courage to open her mouth, "Mrs. Livingstone, I mean no disrespect, but the students in the back of the classroom have kept Kurt and me from learning properly. They are much too obnoxious. And just now one of them fired a spit ball into my hair. I would appreciate it if I could clean myself off in the bathroom."

Mrs. Livingstone glances at the students in the back that have now gone quiet. Then she moves her gaze back to Rachel, who is still standing there, hands on her hips.

"I see, but why do you need Mr. Hummel for that?"

"I can't see the back of my head, and I'd rather not receive help from people who don't like me."

The teacher sighs in defeat and gestures to the door for them to leave. "Don't take too long."

Rachel nods in agreement and walks out the door with Kurt following behind her.

-x-x-x-x-

When the two reach the bathroom Kurt throws his arms around Rachel giving her a tight squeeze. "Rachel that was awesome! You have got to be the most confident person I've ever met in my entire life! How do you do it?"

Rachel giggles at Kurt's enthusiasm. Rachel's never had someone who has had that much happiness on their face when they talk to her.

"Well, I just told the truth I guess! I mean I didn't know what else to say, I kind of panicked…" She trailed off in laughter.

"Wow that has got to be the most put-together panicking I've ever known."

Rachel walks over to the sinks, smile still lingering on her face. "I guess we should get that _stuff_ out of your hair then." Kurt says grabbing some paper towels. Rachel just nods, she forgot for a second that there was disgusting saliva from another person tainting her hair.

"Just get it over with," Rachel whispers, covering her face.

"It's not like it's a slushie."

"You're right, it's worse."

"Really? Well I guess. I mean I've never had anyone spit in my hair. Besides my mom…"

Kurt whispers the last part, Rachel barely even heard it. She lets it slide for now.

They sit in silence while Kurt washes Rachel's hair. Rachel can't stop thinking about the plan. She does think she should tell Kurt. He deserves to be a part of it as well, and it would be nice having help with it. When she met Kurt in the hallway she had no second thought, but now…

Now she's not sure. She can't even remember what the plan was, and she'd have to find it first. Kurt could help look for it. Rachel doesn't even know if Kurt would want to help. _So ask_, her brain tells her. _Fine, I will_.

A few minutes later Kurt is throwing paper towels into the trashcans. Rachel feels the back of her head. Yep, just slightly damp; no trace of anything unwanted. Rachel smiles at herself in the mirror.

"Thanks Kurt."

"Anytime," He replies, smiling at her reflection.

Rachel turns around so she can ask him about her plan face to face, "Kurt if I had a plan to get back at all these bullies; would you want to be a part of it?"

Kurt tilts his head in confusion then answers, "Like bully them…?"

"Kind of, I don't exactly remember. You see last year when I was being bullied I came up with all these ways to get back at them. I never had time to do it last year because the school year ended, but I can now! It's a fresh start, new people. I want to end the bullying before it starts."

"What do you mean you can't remember?"

"Oh yeah, I wrote it all down on two pieces of paper so I would have a copy. I wrote it down almost a year ago and I should remember, but I don't. The problem is that when I got slushied this morning my paper was ruined. I still have one at home, but I miss placed it.

"So I was thinking that you could be included by helping me with it, but you'd also have to help me look of it too. Would you want to?" Rachel asks.

Kurt crosses his arms over his chest and grins, "Sounds good to me."

The two link arms and head back to class.

-x-x-x-x-

When they arrive back at the classroom Mrs. Livingstone is giving instructions of some kind. She turns her head to see Kurt and Rachel are back.

"Just in time, I'm about to pair people up for this project." She explains as Kurt and Rachel take their seats.

"Are we allowed to pick our partners?" Some kid from the back of the classroom shouts.

"No, I will choose. In fact, I already have you all paired on this sheet of paper." The teacher pulls out a paper that is T-charted and fixes her glasses so she can see the writing.

Rachel sighs. Of course there's no way she's going to end up with Kurt as a partner because she usually doesn't have much luck when it comes to these things. She watches as Mrs. Livingstone prints her fate up on the marker board.

"Now assuming all of you children can read; I'm going to let you see who you have instead of me reading it off to you like you are in preschool."

Rachel pouts. This is ridiculous. She doesn't understand why Mrs. Livingstone is assigning partners. It's not like they're in fifth grade. They should be able to pick so they don't end up with psychos who never do their work. She finds her name on the board.

_**Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray**_

Who is Quinn Fabray?

It is then that Rachel hears a loud angry voice shriek, "Why would I be paired with that loser!?"

Rachel slouches in her seat.

She's paired with the cheerleader whose laughter sounds like bells. _Great_, she thinks. To Rachel's surprise Mrs. Livingstone ignores Quinn. Rachel smacks her head down against her desk. _Why do bad things happen to wonderful people_? She wonders, annoyed.

Then the bell rings.

"Class dismissed!"


End file.
